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Well, I have been reading so many blogs and articles that have been making 2007 predictions, that I thought I would add my own twist to the mix. So here are a couple to chew on relating to custom publishing and content marketing.

1. A major consumer brand will launch a custom magazine in 2007 that wins numerous "magazine of the year" awards from the trade press.

2. CEM or Custom Experience Management takes the spotlight in 2007, as more marketers try a new tactic at measuring the value of the customer.

3. 2007 is the year that email dies. Marketers finally realize that buyers and specifiers are no longer looking to email to get company information...frankly, they either don't pass through the spam filter or are not being opened due to the flooding of crap email. Instead, marketers look to content portals that are search engine optimized that integrate with their own sites, as well as being picked up by the major search portals. RSS feeds are a must on any site.

4. Wal-Mart goes back to their original agency and begs forgiveness - realizing that the original Sam Walton vision is the best bet for their future.

5. More and more agencies begin to produce content marketing/custom publishing pieces for their clients. As more marketers are going targeted, and relying less on big media buys, agencies see an opportunity to create content strategies for their clients. This offers opportunities for many custom publishers for partnerships, but also leaves many others in the dust, taking business from the traditional content marketing houses.

If you were considering the above as a financial portfolio, I would be happy with 3 so-so predictions, 1 dead-on, and one in the flusher. We'll have to wait a year and see. Best wishes for the New Year!

Labels: custom magazines, custom publishing, ROI, top predictions

I will be speaking with a number of content marketing leaders on January 10th in New York. Worthwhile for any marketer considering growing their content-based communications with their internal or external customers. Here is more information...

At ABM’s Thought Leadership Breakfast “The Identity Game: Custom Media Builds Brands,” executives from Penton Custom Media, Hanley Wood, Imagination Publishing, Idearc Media, and about.com will:

<>Show you how cut through the clutter, maximize your resources, and raise your brand's profile using targeted, brand-driven content.

<>Feature best practices and case studies on content marketing, discussing how client goals were met with effective targeting and usage of the correct platform for their campaign.

<>Takeaways from business and consumer-based models that can be easily adapted into your plan, elevating your marketing message and growing your business.

Member fee - $75 per person for ABM, ASBPE, BMA, CPC, SIIA & SIPA members

Non-member fee - $95 per person

<>

For more information on this program, please contact Michele Langer at 212-661-6360 x3337 or m.langer@abmmail.com. To register online, please visit http://www.abmevents.com/.

This program takes place at:

Scholastic, Inc. headquarters, 557 Broadway, New York City

January 10, 2007 from 8:30 am – 10:30 am

Labels: content marketing

Had in-depth conversations today with three publishers at three different companies...all pretty much saying the same thing; that is - Anyone who thinks they have a good handle on where b2b media is going are kidding themselves.

A few thoughts to chew on -
1. The media environment is changing so fast (daily), entering in new processes and technology, that no-one except 18-year olds can keep track of it.
2. Media planners, agencies, publishers, and marketers are trying to use traditional processes to measure programs based on what we thought was true 10 years ago. Danger Will Robinson! The rules have changed. Whatever we are measuring, it's most likely wrong.
3. There is such a fast movement onto the web that marketers are forgetting that the buyer has complete control over what information they use to make buying decisions - and that includes some who use print and in-person events.
4. Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts. First, stop calling audio files on your web site a podcast (yes, we are to blame for this as well). Second, true podcasts are too cumbersome right now to be effective. Call me in 9 months.

Labels: podcasts, ROI, web marketing

Check out these two recent editorial pieces.

First one, from B@B magazine, on the traditional catalog pushing the in-store and online shopping experience.

The second one, from BusinessWeek (need to register), on a record-setting year for print catalogs.

The takeaway - the same as it has been for the last many years - if a person knows exactly what they want, they go right to the web. If they do not, they use many different information sources, maybe none greater in the B2B world than print.

And yes, print catalogs are growing like crazy...but I'm starting to see more and more "magalogs" used by b2b marketers...that is, magazines based on editorial content with additional product pages (much like a catalog). I can't think of a more effective way to extend the impact of your catalog than to add quality, highly-valued content directed at your customer. Give it some thought.

Labels: catalogs, direct marketing, magalogs

Attended a user conference last week and had the privilege to speak with about 10 marketers in-depth about how they measure marketing. The good news is that measuring their marketing is of great concern...a top priority. The bad news...none of them have a good handle on how to do it.

These 10 very smart marketers all have different ways that they measure their marketing based on their company culture and management directives. The challenge of this lies more in the hands of marketing vendors...who will continue to struggle putting measurement plans together for companies that ultimately don't know what they should be measuring, or how to implement a measurement process internally.

Labels: ROI